NMMA Sells Los Angeles, San Diego Boat Shows

The Chicago-based National Marine Manufacturer’s Association (NMMA) announced Wednesday that it has “reached an agreement to transfer ownership” of its Los Angeles Boat Show and San Diego International Boat Show to Duncan McIntosh Company, Inc., effective immediately.

Described as a strategic change to its boat show roster, the move means that NMMA will close its western office later this spring. In a letter to exhibitors, NMMA president Thom Dammrich wrote “We are sad to say goodbye to Dave Geoffroy and his talented team of professionals and thank them for their hard work and dedication in working with us to grow recreational boating in California. Dave has been a fixture in the southern California boating industry for 45 years and has served the industry as an association leader for 18 years. We hope you will join us in wishing them well in their future endeavors.”

The 2016 Los Angeles Boat Show completed a successful four-day run on February 28, with an 11% increase in attendance. NMMA notes that it is “business as usual” for the 2016 San Diego International Boat Show, set to run from June 16 to 19 at the Sheraton Hotel and Marina on Harbor Island, and that all existing agreements for 2016 will be honored by the new owners.

With the sale of two major boat shows in the region, plus the cancellation of the San Francisco Boat Show in January due to inclement weather and the challenges in finding a suitable long-term home for that event in Northern California, NMMA further announced it will not be producing a San Francisco show in 2017. Thom Dammrich explained “It was not an easy decision to make but after listening to our exhibitors and exploring our options for alternative host sites, it became clear we would not be able to produce the kind of event our attendees and exhibitors have come to expect from NMMA. We thank our exhibitors for their support as we looked to use this show as a way to reinvigorate the Northern California market and hope our exhibitors understand our reasons behind this difficult decision.”

While the NMMA West offices are closing and shows are transitioning, NMMA will continue to represent the marine industry on the West Coast through its statistics, certification, marketing and government relations operations.